


Company

by murderbreak



Series: Readjust [6]
Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Comfort, F/M, How Do I Tag, Sam is shaped like a Friend, Talking, Time for a Talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-28
Updated: 2017-04-28
Packaged: 2018-10-24 21:09:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10749870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/murderbreak/pseuds/murderbreak
Summary: You didn't like the way that Sam was smiling, and it had took you a minute to realize that your cheeks were flaming. “Oh, you have to tell me! Were they cute? Funny?”“Chris,” you’d said quickly. You were panicking a little bit, being under such pressure. You didn't lie well under pressure.





	Company

You'd mulled over what happened with Chris for days on end after, not going back to his apartment or asking him to talk about what happened between you both. He was Josh’s best friend. Josh was…. dead? How would someone be classified after they go through what they did on that fucking mountain? Dead? Undead? Sorta kinda dead but still alive enough to be considered a boyfriend? Shit if you knew. You didn’t even know if he was  _ alive _ .

 

Were you technically single?

 

The question only bugs you because of a talk you had with Sam. Sam…. 

 

She'd called you just over a week after the party, talking about how you two needed to get together again. You hadn't hung out with her in a long time. You'd been so preoccupied with Chris and working up the nerve to go to the hospital that doing much else seemed… unreal. It felt fake to go on with living when it felt like Josh didn't make it. 

 

So you'd met her at this cute vegetarian cafe that made you feel comfortable because at least here, you could eat so little and you won't get looked at weird. You haven't been having much of an appetite. You haven't been having much of an  _ anything _ . 

 

“After the party, I was worried,” Sam had said. “Chris said he had you and that you've been staying with him.” You’d nodded a little, looking over this nice little salad you'd ordered. “I'm glad. I'm… I'm worried, about you. I hate to leave you alone.” Sam was always so kind, the third person in the group you'd trusted the most. It was obvious who the first two were. The thought of them made your stomach twist. 

 

The next question had brought a brick to your stomach. 

 

“Have you thought about seeing anyone?”

 

You’d looked up. “What?”

 

“Seeing someone, like… you know, just, putting yourself out there? Looking for company?”

 

Oh, you found company. You found company in a mutual best friend after a rather stressful situation in the midst of inner turmoil. You didn't like the way that Sam was smiling, and it had took you a minute to realize that your cheeks were flaming. Goddamnit. “Oh, you have to tell me! Were they cute? Funny?”

 

“Chris,” you’d said quickly. You were panicking a little bit, being under such pressure. You didn't lie well under pressure. “After the party.”

 

Sam blinked then, staring at you. “Oh.  _ Oh _ .” 

 

“I-it was stupid. We were high and oh my god I've been so lonely, Sam, and he was there, he was  _ there _ for me and we didn't mean to and we were just so close and I feel so fucking  _ guilty _ because Josh….” 

 

The look on Sam’s face had made you stop. You'd said too much. No one knew you'd gone back, that you got Josh home. “Josh? What about Josh?”

 

You’d told her the story, reluctantly, talking about the rescue team, the empty mines. You even told her about the team member who looked like Chris. She'd put two and two together about the bruising around your throat, and a look of understanding and worry washed over her. “You can't…. you can't tell anyone,” you said. “Please.” You sighed with relief when she agreed not to. For the briefest moment, you felt weight ease off your shoulders. 

 

“But,” she’d said, and it made you pause. “You have to talk with Chris. Please tell me you've talked with Chris.” 

 

The sheepish look on your face had been enough of an answer for her. She was about to say something when you spoke first. “I'm just…. I'm so confused, Sam. I don't even know if Josh and I are… or if he's…” You’d sighed. “I don't even know where I stand with Chris right now. What if he thinks I'm just desperate?”

 

Sam shook her head. “It's Chris, he loves you to death,” Sam had said. “You have to talk to him. Whatever this is between you two… you can't just leave it. As for you and Josh…” Sam had placed her hand over yours and squeezed it. “I know you don't want to, but just think about… moving on, if you have to. If he makes it, you can drop everything and run back to him but it's not going to kill you if you let yourself have some company, okay?”

 

You’d wished in that moment that it would. You’d just nodded at her and you knew she was trying her best, and for that, you appreciate it. You'd hated to admit she might be right. But… company can't kill you either. 

 

It was how you ended up standing in front of Chris’ door to his apartment for the first time in 10 days a few days after your meeting with Sam. You debated in texting him first, but suddenly you found yourself in your car and then there's his door in front of your face. You raise your fist to knock, and it takes a couple of moments and a quick groan from the other side of the door before it opens and there's Chris in his nerdy glory. You think this is the fewest amount of layers you've seen him in. 

 

“Well hey,” he says, leaning against his doorframe. 

 

“Hey,” you reply. You look around and shove your hands into your jacket pockets. “Can… can I come in?”

 

Chris nods slowly. “Yeah, yeah totally,” he says, and steps aside so you can step in. You do, and he shuts the door behind you before walking further into his apartment. You slip off your boots and remove your jacket before following him in. You two sit on the couch together and there's obvious tension. “You haven't answered my texts,” he says. 

 

“Yeah I….” You pause and try again. “I'm sorry. After what happened I kinda just… freaked, y’know?”

 

Chris nods. “Yeah I get it,” he says. “We did kinda, uh…” He makes a face. 

 

“Yeah, yeah we did.” 

 

More silence. 

 

“Do you regret it?” he asks. 

 

You look up at him. “No,” you say. You didn't. You couldn't find it to be a mistake. It was Chris. “You?”

 

“I didn't.”

 

Well. That puts you in a weird place, you suppose. Neither of you regret what happened between you both, now where do you go? Agree to never do it again? Call it a happy accident and move on? What the fuck do people do in these situations?

 

“That's kinda good to know, actually,” you say. “I've been freaking out these past few days thinking maybe you like. Regretted it or whatever. It's why I didn't answer. I didn’t want to see what you had to say.” You could admit it was stupid; it was Chris, after all.

 

“We can't ignore it, you know,” he tells you with a shrug. “I mean, it's a thing that happened. We're a couple of lonely, hormonal kids that happened to have sex with each other. It's not a bad thing. If it happens, it happens.”

 

You laugh softly. “You're not wrong,” you say. Then you pause. “You make it sound like it could happen again,” you say after a moment. You raise your brow at Chris and he shrugs again. 

 

“Like I said, we’re a couple of lonely, hormonal kids.” 

 

“We were also high as fuck.”

 

“That too. But my point stands, man,” he says. “Don't think about it too much. We’re still best buds.” Chris pats his lap, and you smile a bit and adjust yourself so your head is resting in his lap. “We can still be best buds even if hormones take over from time to time.” Chris looks down at you. “Did you seriously think I'd like, not want to see you?”

 

You shrug. “Yeah in case you missed it, the classic trope of best friends sleeping together after some traumatic event never usually ends well.” You laugh a little and so does he. It feels easy. The weight on your chest is lifted slightly. 

 

“This doesn't have to be a thing,” Chris tells you. “I don't even think I  _ want _ it to be a thing -- nothing against you -- but… listen, if you wanna do a little hokey pokey with no strings attached, I don't think I'll find myself complaining either.”

 

“What about you and Ashley?” you ask softly. 

 

Chris frowns a little bit and you almost regret bringing her up. They looked fine at the party. “She…. needs time, or something,” he tells you. “She says she wants to get back to actually living and feeling like a human being before she does… whatever she wants us to do.”

 

You smile. “You still like her?”

 

“I know I slept with you but c’mon,” he says, and you laugh softly. 

 

“Alright alright,” you say. You smile up at him. “It's nice you're giving her her space.”

 

“Yeah, she can't be like the rest of us who jump into weird possible friends with benefits relationships.” 

 

You laugh and smile, but you don't say much after that. Your mind is wandering towards where you stood with feelings. Feelings that…. only belonged to Josh. Even now. You think that's why this will be easy, since Chris seems to be fine with… with whatever the hell this is. Both of your hearts belong to someone else. You're not running the risk of strings attaching themselves because there are no strings to begin with. Just two friends agreeing on company. 

 

Your face must have altered while you'd been lost in your thoughts, because Chris speaks up again, nice and soft. “You still love him, don't you.” It's not even a question. Chris already knows.

 

You nod. “I… don't think I'll ever not love him,” you answer. “He was it for me. Even after everything, even now… I don't think I could be with anyone else, Chris.” You curl up and turn, facing out towards the living room of his apartment. Chris’ fingers run through your hair, soft and soothing. Chris doesn't say anything; he just lets you speak and runs his fingers through your hair. Guilt eats at your insides anyway, with Josh tucked in the back of your mind but still so deep and forefront in your heart. You don’t think you can give it to anyone else. 

 

Your fingers tighten against Chris’ pants, and he doesn’t speak a word.

 

You both lay like that for awhile, no words being exchanged, just being together. Eventually Chris speaks again. “C’mon, let's watch some of the shitty horror movies Netflix has to offer,” he says. “I know how much you love your classic demonic movie.” You smile and nod, and you feel him reach over to grab his remote to flip on the program. You both agree on the shittiest looking one and turn it on and this is maybe the most normal you've ever felt since coming back from the hospital. 

  
For the first time in awhile, your heart rests easy, and you feel human again. 


End file.
